The Hidden Hope
by remyj17
Summary: Sesshoumaru and Rin romance. Basic love story for all who love "the simple things".
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, I just love it and am obsessed with it._

_Notes: This is my first ever fanfic. If it sucks, or if it's good, please tell me why. :) I'm going to be studying creative writing in college and I want to do the best job I can on everything. Also remember to tell me if you would read more of it if I continued. No point in writing a story no one will ever read._

**Prologue: Recognition**

Sesshoumaru sniffed the air experimentally. There was a faint scent that seemed familiar, and yet… His eyes widened and he felt the shock ripple through him as he identified the scent as the boy Kohaku's. Kohaku was supposed to be dead! His jewel shard had been removed by Naraku, so Sesshoumaru had assumed that he was dead. _I will not underestimate the boy again,_ he thought grimly. _He tried to kill Rin. When we next meet, I will kill him._Knowing Kohaku was not nearby, Sesshoumaru turned and headed back to camp.

**Chapter 1: Into the West**

"Lord Sesshoumaru! Welcome back!" Rin greeted Sesshoumaru brightly when he arrived back at camp. Her demeanor had not changed since she was a little girl, except that maybe she was a little quieter and on occasion, pensive. Sesshoumaru regarded his energetic teenage ward with his usual detached expression. "Rin, are you well?"

"Yes, my lord!"

"Where is Jaken?"

"Master Jaken said that it isn't safe for humans to search for food in this forest. He said even if humans could tell what is good to eat and what is bad, they would be killed by wild animals or demons." Rin giggled a bit. "Maybe he won't be killed, but Master Jaken is very good at getting lost."

Sesshoumaru sighed, but inwardly he was smiling. Jaken _did_get lost quite a bit when left on his own. "I will go and find him," he said out loud. "Rin, stay with Ah-Un." He walked away, disappearing into the lengthening shadows of the twilight.

Rin watched him go, and then added more wood to the campfire. Her brow furrowed as she pondered the purpose of the journey that Lord Sesshoumaru was taking them on. He had not said where they were going, nor did he seem to want to tell her and Jaken. Rin was reasonably sure of this because Jaken had asked and been kicked in the head for it. All she knew was that they were moving west. _Lord Sesshoumaru never said anything… but Master Jaken says Lord Sesshoumaru's palace is in the west. Maybe we're going there? But why? I thought he didn't like being at the palace._

Rin sighed. What was taking them so long to come back? It was dark beyond the circle of the fire. Even the stars were veiled by clouds. Rin's head grew heavier and she fought to stay awake. Her eyelids fluttered in a last attempt to remain conscious. But it had been a long day, and the fire warded off the night's chill. Rin relaxed against Ah-Un and fell asleep.

**Chapter 2: Left Behind**

Rin woke up the next day alone. But she wasn't in the forest anymore. She was in a room that was brightly lit by the sunlight that streamed through a glass window. She lay in a bed softer than any other bed she had ever slept on. Still, her unfamiliar surroundings left her feeling guarded and she got up and looked out the window, hoping to find a clue about where she was. The sun was high in the sky, indicating that it was around noontime. Outside was a garden, with some small flowers of varying color, but it was mostly roses. There was a screen next to the window and Rin opened it a crack to breathe in the fresh air. After a moment she closed the screen and decided it would be good idea to leave her room and find out where she was.

Cautiously, Rin opened the door to her room and stepped out into a hallway. "Good morning, miss." The soft voice made Rin whirl around in surprise. A woman stood by her, bowing her head. "Is there anything you need? Breakfast? Lunch? A bath to wash away the dirt from your travels?"

Rin took a moment to collect herself. She then asked politely, "Could you tell me where I am? And how I got here?"

"You are in the palace of the Lord Sesshoumaru. He brought you here late last night," the woman replied. "I am your lady in waiting, Harumi." Then she added. "Lord Sesshoumaru thought a human might be able to serve your needs better, so I came from my village, not far beyond the palace walls." She tried to steer Rin back into her rooms, but Rin didn't move.

"Where is Lord Sesshoumaru? And Master Jaken and Ah-Un? Can I see them?"

"The Lord had business to attend to." Harumi answered carefully. "As for Master Jaken, you are to see him later. The dragon is in the stables." Rin followed Harumi back into her room. "I took the liberty of ordering some food for you. I will draw your bath while you eat." As she spoke, a servant entered and placed a tray of food on a little table by the window. Rin realized then that she was _very_ hungry. She sat down at the table, noting that there was boar meat and not fish. _Lord Sesshoumaru must know I'm tired of eating fish all the time,_ Rin thought, smiling. _He'll never admit it, but he does notice the more 'trivial' details._

Rin ate and bathed quickly, not rushing but moving fast enough so that after only an hour of being awake, she was clean and dressed in a presentable fashion. Harumi then led her to one of the courtyards, where Jaken was waiting.

"Master Jaken!" Rin called. Jaken turned around and Rin felt a strong sense of relief. She had been feeling as if she was alone, waking up in a strange place without her usual companions.

"Rin! Stop that noise this instant!" Jaken squawked, "It is unseemly and –"Jaken was cut off as Rin threw her arms around him and hugged him hard enough to break a rib. "Oh, Master Jaken, I missed you!"

"Rin, release me at once!" gasped Jaken. Rin did and Jaken fell on his rear in the dirt coughing. When he had got his wind back, he frowned at Rin and said, "What do you mean, you 'missed me'?! I just saw you yesterday!" Rin hung her head, feeling silly. "Well, what's wrong, Rin? Speak up!"

"Well, Master Jaken, it's just that I woke up and I didn't know where I was or where you and Ah-Un were or where Lord Sesshoumaru was." Rin paused and then said with an anxious frown, "Actually, I still don't know where Lord Sesshoumaru is."

"I'm supposed to bring you to him after I tell why we're here," said Jaken.

_Note: I know it's short, but that's all I've got for now. Reviews are kind of like royalties, so bring on the reviews! ;) Also, feel free to let me know if there are any spelling or grammar errors. I always check, but just in case... I hate them and I want to fix any that are there._


	2. Chapter 2

_Discalimer: As much as I love Inuyasha, I do not own it. :(_

_Anyway, enjoy this chapter! As soon as I saw that people had reviewed I sat down and wrote it. Hmm... cause and effect? :) _

**Chapter 3: A New Life**

"So Master Jaken, why _are_ we here? Whenever Lord Sesshoumaru would mention the palace it seemed as if he didn't like it much," Rin said. Jaken sighed. He felt uneasy about being the one to inform Rin of the new conditions; he felt Lord Sesshoumaru ought to be the bearer of what might be unwelcome news. When he spoke, he spoke carefully, watching Rin closely for a sign that she might be upset.

"Lord Sesshoumaru has decided that now that it has been a few years since Naraku's defeat… Well, he has long had plans that… that is to say, it has always been his intention…" Jaken paused, and then said quickly, "Lord Sesshoumaru is going to continue building his empire!" Rin just looked at him, and Jaken saw that she looked more confused than upset.

"But Master Jaken, won't Lord Sesshoumaru have to travel to find and fight the best demons? Won't he have to find a yokai mate? And he's going to add more human villages to his domain when he does these things, but he still hasn't really spent any time around the villagers here, right?" asked Rin, "So why would he even bother to come to the palace? Isn't this a bit of a waste of time?"

"Foolish child! You understand all the things he must do to build his empire, but you cannot think of a reason why we might be here now? This is just a stop for him and for me, but he cannot take you with him when he goes to do battle! There is no place for you in such a situation. You will live here from now on!" Jaken burst out. He braced himself for the tears and the complaints, for the pleads to take her with them, but they didn't come. Rin just stood there, her face calm, thoughtful, even.

"I see," she said slowly. "I'm to stay here… because I would be a burden, seeing as I can't fight or even defend myself against a wolf or a bear." It all made perfect sense now. She had been given a lady in waiting because her stay wasn't going to be short and there was a garden with plenty of flowers outside her room and Lord Sesshoumaru hadn't said where and why they were going. _He didn't want to upset me,_ she thought._ He wants me to be happy here. But… how can I be happy if Lord Sesshoumaru isn't always nearby? Can I be remotely content if the only two people who care about me leave?_

"Rin! Are you alright?" Jaken asked her, disturbed by her long silence. "I know you think Lord Sesshoumaru can protect you from anything, but our next journey will be too dangerous. And you've bothered him for protection enough, don't you think? You will only-- "

"Yes, Master Jaken, I understand," Rin interrupted him, the words coming automatically. "Lord Sesshoumaru has important work to do and I would only be in the way."

"Well, I'm glad you know your place in Lord Sesshoumaru's world," Jaken huffed. "When you were a child you assumed that no one and nothing was more important to him than you. But now you understand his empire comes first and I, as his humble servant, am second—" Jaken was cut off again as a rock hit his head, making him fall.

"Jaken, give the servants their final instructions and secure the gate. We're leaving." Sesshoumaru had seemingly come from nowhere and stopped Jaken midway through his pompous speech.

"Y-yes, my lord, of course." Jaken stumbled away, leaving Sesshoumaru and Rin alone in the courtyard, the sun still streaming down, a reminder that summer would soon arrive. Sesshoumaru looked at Rin, his face betraying none of his emotions. Rin, for her part, kept her eyes on a bird that had lighted on a nearby magnolia tree. It was a finch, its black and yellow feathers stark against the pink and white blossoms. A breeze ruffled through those blossoms then, and lifted a few strands of Sesshoumaru's silvery hair. Rin, with her hair in a tight bun, stood so still she might have been a statue, just another part of the courtyard.

Sesshoumaru waited for her to speak, but when she didn't, spoke her name, "Rin." Still, she would not look at him. _She must be very upset,_ he thought. He felt his frustration building. Could she not understand that he had something of the utmost importance to do, that if he didn't do it, hundreds of years of his life would mean nothing? "Rin." He said her name again. "Rin, look at me," he commanded. She did, finally. "You will be comfortable here. Harumi will take care of you, and I've also arranged for a few tutors so that you may continue your lessons while Jaken is away." Sesshoumaru paused, feeling as if he ought to say something more, but all he could come up with was, "This is the best plan for everyone right now."

"Will you and Master Jaken visit m—I mean, the palace often?" Rin asked, still with a strange aura of calm.

"I do not believe that there will be much time for such things," answered Sesshoumaru in his quiet voice. He felt an urge to promise that he would, no matter what. _It shouldn't be surprising, really,_ he thought. _Of course I've grown used to having her with me and I do not like to leave her on her own, she finds trouble too easily, even for a human girl as adventurous as she is._ He sighed, letting his eyes close briefly.

"I understand, my lord," said Rin when he opened his eyes. "I know you'll be busy."

"But there will be some times when we will need to come back, just to make sure things are still going well," Sesshoumaru remarked. Rin smiled at this and he felt relieved, then reluctantly added, "However, I do not know when that will be."

"Is there anything that you think I should do while you're gone?" she asked. Sesshoumaru stepped towards her and they looked at each other for a long moment. Then he turned and began walking towards where Jaken had gone, but not before Rin thought she saw him smile. Neither of them said anything else, but leaving, Sesshoumaru made one wish:

_Don't change._

_Notes: I really want to thank everyone who reviewed or added me to favorite authors/stories or author/story alert. I can't even begin to describe how happy that makes me! :D with regards to the timeline, I really hadn't thought about it, but the more reviews, the faster I'll post, I promise! I guess that each time I post a chapter I'll check after two days to see how many reviews I've gotten. If there are enough, I'll post the next chapter._


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